Slip-friction coupling



June 10, 1947.

'A. G. cooLEY SLIP-FRICTION COUPLING Filed Sep't. 11, 1943 Patented June l0, 1947 SLIP-FBICTION COUPLING Austin G. Cooley, New York, N. Y., assignor to Times Facsimile Corporation, a corporation of New York Application September 11, 1943, SeriaiNo. l501,953

'I'his invention relates to telegraph systems and more especially to improved friction clutches for facsimile machines and the like.

A principal object of the invention is toprovide an improved friction-slip clutch for coupling a driving shaft to a facsimile scanning drum andl the like.

A feature of the invention relates to an improved friction-slip clutch for facsimile machines which has a very high ratio of static friction to sliding friction.

Another feature relates to a clutch for facsimile machines and the like employing specially designed friction-coupling surfaces, as a result .conditions of a facsimile scanning drum.

Other features and advantages not specifically enumerated will be apparent after a consideration of the following detailed descriptions and the appended claim.

In the drawing which illustrates one preferred I embodiment,

Fig. 1 is a view of a facsimile drum drive control embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is ank exploded perspective view of part of Fig. l, to show'the clutch construction more clearly.

Fig. 3 is a partly broken away, perspective view of one of the slip friction rings of Figs. 1 and 2'.

Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the end of the driving shaft of Fig. 1 to show the clutch construction more clearly.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I represents generically any well-known kind of vfac-- simile scanning drum which is required to be rotated around its longitudinal axis, and also to be bodily moved along that axis. For illustration, the drum I is shown slidably keyed at its right-hand end to shaft 2, and in threaded engagement at its left-hand end with the lead screw portion 3 of said shaft. For a more detailed description of the manner of supporting the drum and controlling its rotation 4and -longitudinal (ci. un o) movement. reference may be had to- U. S. Patent No. 2,138,784.

In certain systems of tele-facsimile, it is necessary to start and stop the scanning drum with aminimum delay in starting and a minimum creepage after stopping. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a special form of slipfriction clutch for achieving the above-noted resuits. For this purpose, the drum shaft 2 which is mounted in suitable bearings (not shown), has supported in alignment'therewith a driving shaft I, which is mounted in ball bearings in bearing bracket 6. Shaft 4 at its right-hand end is pointed as indicated by numeral 1, and engages a central recess in the extreme left end of lead screw I.

Surrounding shaft '8 is a split disc 8 of suitable metal which by means of screw 9 can be rigidly fastened to the shaft at any desired point thereof. Disc 8 has a set of three equally spaced recesses I0 in one face in which are seated the coiled springs II. Also fastened to shaft 6 by pins or other means, is a bearing sleeve I2 hav-f ing a. reduced collar I 3 at one end. The outside diameter of sleeve I2 is suiliciently small to allow considerable clearance between its circumference and the springs I I. Adapted to surround the sleeve I2 are the friction discs or rings II-I 1. The outer face of sleeve I2 provides ajournal bearing surface for the friction disc I6. Ring I4 is of metal and abuts against springs II to distribute equally the pressure on rings i5, I-E and I1.

Ring I4 is positively driven by member 8, and for this purpose it carries a coupling pin I8 which is adapted to enter the opening I9 in disc l8, it being understood that pin I8 clears sleeve I2. The pin Iii also extends slightly beyond'the right-hand face of ring Il so as to enter a circularrecess 20 in the left-hand face of the friction disc, I5. 'I'he ring IS is of suitable metal larger in outside diameter than members I4, I5 and Il, and has its opposite faces annularly recessed with the recesses of slightly greater diameter than the outside diameter of the rings I5 and I1. Ring I7 on its right-hand face is provided with ad shallow recess 2| which is engaged by a pin 22 on the left-hand face of the cover plate 23. Plate 2l has a central opening 24 which;

ts over the collar I3. 'I'he plate 23 is fastened in place by screws 25 which enter the corresponding threadedopenings 28 in the bearing sleeve I2.

In accordance with one feature of the invent,

tion, the discs I 5 and I'l are of porous compressed metal, the interstices of which are filled with a 3 suitable lubricating medium such as oil, graphite or the like. The rings Il and I1 may be made of copper, bronze or even of iron. Cooperating with the opposed faces of slip-fraction rings I6 and I1, are a series of three equally spaced friction plugs 21, which are snugly fitted into corresponding holes in the recessed annular portion of ring I6. These plugs 21 can be fastened in place by peening the surrounding margins of the holes in member I6 so as to prevent dislodgment or turning of the said plugs. cordance with the invention, are' made of the same material as the rings I and I1, namely of compressed powdered metal which contains in its interstices a supply of lubricating medium. With this arrangement therefor, the rings I5 and I1 abut against the opposite faces of the plugs 21 to control the friction and slippage. One method of making the material for the friction surfaces of members I5, I1 and 21, is to subject finely comminuted iron, copper or bronze under heavy pres.- sure, for example 15,000 lbs. to about 50,000 lbs. per square inch in a suitable mold to form the powdered metal into a relatively hard compacted mass. By regulating the fineness or coarseness of the original comminuted metal the desired degree of friction in the finished surface may be attained. The compacted mass may then be sub- Plugs 21, in acjected to a suitable heat treatment and then submerged in. lubricating oil to saturate the compacted mass uniformly throughout its porous interior. The compacted and self-lubricating mass may then be subjected to any suitable machining operation to giveit the desired final shape and size.

The ring I6 is the stop ring, and for this purpose its periphery has rigidly attached thereto a stop-lug 28. For the purpose of coupling the ring I6 to the shaft 2, the latter shaft has keyed thereto a disc 29 and a rigid pin 30 which engages the recess 3| in ring I6. Consequently, as long as ring I6 is rotating, it positively drives the shaft 2. However, when it is desired to stop the rotation of shaft 2, a suitable trip magnet 32 fastened to the bracket 33 is deenergized to project a stop member 34 in the path of the lug 28. Under these conditions, the ring I6 is positively stopped but because of the slip friction engagement between the plugs 21 and the rings I5 and l1, the driving shaft 4 continues in operation. By reason of the three springs II and the intervening rigid ring I4, the frictional pressure is equalized on the plugs and discs in any position of the disc I6, and this equalization of pressure is maintained regardless of slight variations in 4 alignment between shafts 4 and 2. Furthermore, by the use of the separate friction plugs 21, uneven wearing on the faces of the friction rings I5 and I1 is minimized.

The manner of assembly of the various' elements, it is believed, will be clear from the foregoing description. Sumce it to say that after fastening the cover plate 23 in place and with the rings Il, I5, I6 and I1 in piace on the sleeve I2, the ring 8 may be adjusted to give the proper pressure through the springs II whereupon the screw 9 can be fastened to anchor the said ring 8 in position on shaft 6 to maintain the desired pressure. f

While one specific embodiment has been disclosed, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

A slip-friction clutch for telegraph machines comprising a pair of annular driving discs having frictional opposed surfaces consisting of compacted powdered metal incorporating lubricating material and an intervening driven disc, said driven disc having its opposite faces annularly recessed, and a plurality of metal plugs passing through said recessed portion and extending from opposite sides thereof into engagement with said pair of driving discs, the surfaces of said plugs being of substantially the same material as said driving discs.

, AUSTIN G. COOLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,277,107 Imes Mar. 24, 1942 2,295,572 Finch Sept. 15, 1942 2,339,133 Artzt Jan. 11, 1944 1,734,598 Schramm Nov. 5, 1929 2,003,766 Zwicky June 4 ,1935 1,365,732 Schmid et a1. Jan. 18, 1921 1,594,054 Fiego July 27, 1926 1,832,488 Larrabee Nov. 17, 1931 2,050,542 Pace Aug. 11, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 533,842 Great Britain 1941 143,096 Switzerland 1931 286,183 Great Britain 1928 

